Positive spin for Lancs' Kerrigan

The left-arm spinner claimed 4-76 as Lancashire completed a record innings and 200-run victory over Northamptonshire on the final morning of their LV= County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Gary Yates believes Simon Kerrigan is slowly getting back to his best.

The left-arm spinner claimed 4-76 as Lancashire completed a record innings and 200-run victory over Northamptonshire on the final morning of their LV= County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old has been a regular wicket-taker since bursting on to the scene in 2010, and was a key player in Lancashire’s 2011 title-winning campaign as he ousted the experienced Gary Keedy as the club’s No 1 spinner.

But he has struggled to rediscover that form following his bruising Test debut against Australia at The Oval last summer when his eight overs went for 53 runs.

Having spent the winter working at Emirates Old Trafford rather than joining up with England’s Performance Programme squad Down Under, he showed some good form for the England Lions on their tour of Sri Lanka before the start of the county season.

But the fact England haven’t turned to him again this summer despite the lack of a front-line Test spinner suggests the selectors feel he still has work to do on his game.

And although Kerrigan has had a mixed start to Lancashire’s Championship campaign, Yates believes he will have a big impact in the second half of the season as the Red Rose look to pull away from the bottom of Division One.

“Simon’s come into a bit of form at the right time,” said Lancashire’s assistant coach. “I don’t he’s fully at his best yet, but I think he is getting closer. It’s been a bit of a stop-start season for him because of the weather and our performances. But the sun’s shone in the last couple of weeks and we’ve seen an improved Simon Kerrigan.

“His tough Test debut did have an effect on him. It didn’t go well in the first innings and, unfortunately, he didn’t get a bowl in the second. It’s only natural that a performance like that might knock you a little bit, and I think it did. But credit to Simon, because he’s worked hard. If he can kick on from the last three weeks, the second half of the season could be very encouraging for him.”

In a match which saw records tumble thanks to Ashwell Prince’s career best 257no and his 332-run stand with Steven Croft, Lancashire’s win, – which was wrapped up just 30 minutes into the final day as Kerrigan claimed the wickets of Graeme White and Mohammad Azhar Uller – was their biggest over Northamptonshire and third biggest against any side since the War.

“Everything clicked, it was the complete game for us,” said Yates. “And the win gives us belief we can win games.”